On November 1st, Alamance County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control notified the Alamance County Health Department regarding a fox attack involving a child. The attack occurred in the vicinity of Gilliam Church Road in Elon on the evening of October 30th. The fox was sent to the North Carolina State Lab of Public Health in Raleigh and found positive for rabies.
A family of five was exposed and sought out medical attention for post-exposure treatment. There is one stray cat in the area, and the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office will set a trap for the stray animal.
If you live in this area and are concerned about possible exposure to you or your animals, please contact the On-Call Communicable Disease Nurse at 336-516-7715.
It is North Carolina law that cats and dogs be vaccinated against rabies. The first vaccination should occur when the dog or cat is no more than four months of age; the second vaccination is required no more than a year later and then again every three years. If your dog or cat needs an updated rabies vaccine, the health department will offer a rabies vaccination event on November 4th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The event will be held at the environmental health parking lot at 209 N. Graham-Hopedale Rd, Burlington, NC 27217. The cost is $5.00, cash or check only. Cats must be in a secured cat carrier to be vaccinated.
If any animal bites you:
- Wash the wound with soap and running water for ten (10) minutes and seek medical attention immediately.
- Write down the location of the animal and a description of the animal to provide to animal control. If the animal is someone’s pet, also get the owner’s name and address. Give this information to animal control or the health department.
- Do not try to catch any wild or stray animals.
For more information or questions about rabies control and vaccination requirements, contact the Health Department’s Environmental Health office at (336) 570-6367.